A common procedure performed by ophthalmologists is the examination of the interior of a patient's eye. This is an important procedure since variations in the appearance of the interior of a patient's eye can give an ophthalmologist important information on the health of a patient or the proliferation of a number of ocular diseases.
Commonly in an examination procedure, the ophthalmologist applies a topical drug to the patients eye to dilate the pupil of the eye. Using a known condensing lens which the ophthalmologist holds in close proximity to the patient's eye in conjunction with an illumination system, the ophthalmologist is able to observe the interior of the patient's eye. Examples of various types of condensing lenses are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,738,521; 4,682,866; 4,627,694; 4,721,378; 4,728,183; 5,007,729; 3,954,329; and 4,469,413. These condensing lenses in general produce images that are useful to the ophthalmologist conducting the examination. The patient, however, must endure the various side effects of the dilation drug such as blurry vision, light hypersensitivity and poor depth perception. These side effects may persist up to several hours following an examination.